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Throughout the first several practices, the Texans have
been high on the play design of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton
MAY 30, 2022
HOUSTON
-- It was always going to
be Pep Hamilton for the Houston Texans on offense.
The question was who would serve as the offensive coordinator's head coach in
2022.
Following the development
of quarterback Davis Mills, the Texans were keen on keeping Hamilton on
staff as the new offensive boss. He interviewed for several coordinator
positions in the offseason, but with a son starring in Texas high school football,
Hamilton wanted to remain in Houston to be close to his family.
Four months following the
promotions of head coach Lovie Smith and Hamilton, Houston is seeing
the results it has been hoping for at OTAs. There's a sense of urgency on
offense, perhaps one that wasn't there under former offensive coordinator Tim
Kelly and head coach David Culley.
Players have seen Hamilton's play design both in the film room
and on the practice field. The consensus impression is that Hamilton isn't in
over his head. This isn't his first rodeo commanding the offense.
"Pep, he is special
and a great mind," receiver Brandin Cooks said. "I’ve got a
lot of trust in him and just trying to help him be right. We love going to work
with him every day.”
Pep
Hamilton
Pep
Hamilton
Pep Hamilton
The development of quarterbacks has
played a pivotal role throughout Hamilton's career. He helped Andrew
Luck become a star in Stanford's offense and later the No. 1 pick. The two
would reunite in Indianapolis, where Luck put up career numbers on the way to
an AFC Championship appearance in 2014.
Prior to arriving in
Houston, Hamilton served as the quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles
Chargers. By Week 2, Los Angeles was forced to play then-rookie Justin
Herbert with little experience. By the season's conclusion, Herbert broke every rookie
passing record on the way to becoming league's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Mills is a different story than both Luck and Herbert. The
fellow Pac-12 passers were selected in the top 10 of their drafts. Mills, who
broke the Texans' rookie passing record in 2021, was selected in the third
round. Should he improve in 2022, the Texans have something in the works for
the first time in the post-Deshaun Watson era.
If
not? No harm, no foul.
One area of improvement for Houston late was at quarterback.
Mills finished the final five games of the regular season with a 2-3 record
while throwing for 1,258 yards while completing 68.2 percent of his
throws. He posted a 9:2 touchdown to interception ratio and finished with a
rookie-high 103.9 passer rating.
"He’s going to be an excellent quarterback in the NFL for a
lot of years, but it’s about this year," Smith said. "Having a year,
he and Pep Hamilton getting on the same page with our offense, and him being in
a role from the start, that’s different also. But that’s what you do."
Cooks and Mills are two players who have become accustomed to
working with Hamilton and understand his demeanor. New names, such as offensive lineman A.J.
Cann, are just getting introduced to the architect of the Texans offense,
though it has gone so smoothly that one would think he's been a part of the
process for years.
"He’s a very detailed coach,"
Cann said. "He shares a lot of information, but he makes sure we all know
what we are doing, each and every day. It doesn’t matter what it
is.
"He’s going to make sure we have a meeting to make sure
everyone is on the same page and that’s what you need in an offensive
coordinator.”
Under Hamilton, Houston is hoping for better results after
mediocre production last season. The Texans finished bottom-five in every
offensive category, including 32nd in total offense and run offense. Houston
hit new lows in the run game, averaging a franchise-worst 3.2 yards per run.
The Texans return for the second stage of OTAs starting
Wednesday, June 1.
